Moderator's Memos

On Presidents’ Day a few Americans—maybe—gave some thought to the contributions of Washington and Lincoln to the creation of a more democratic society—gifts both limited and essential.

Puritans also deserve some credit for establishing the world’s most democratic and egalitarian society early.

1. They initially distributed land in equal arable proportions to all except ministers, who were given two so they could hire someone to plow while they wrote sermons, etc.
2. They insisted on providing a solid education for all, men

On February 14, 1639, when John Winthrop was off in London arranging a charter for what would become Massachusetts, he added a postscript to his letter to his wife “Thou must be my valentine.” Valentine’s Day was not recognized in the short Puritan calendar of holidays, but every letter the couple wrote testified to their intensity of love.

Love is not the first word to come to mind when Puritanism comes up, but human sexual passion was much a part

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• reflect on some of our guiding principles – love God

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Many of you are familiar with this ending of Mary Oliver’s well-known poem, “The Summer Day,” and might remember that I included the poem in one of my August Moderator’s Memos.
 
I know January – just some two weeks after the Winter Solstice – might seem to be a strange time to think of a poem written about summer.
 
But this sentence

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“Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go.” I will soon be going over several rivers and through many woods but, alas, not to Grandmother’s house. However, I will be going to my hometown of Gloucester, Virginia, to spend the holidays with family.
 
It’s times like this that I’d like to be in two places at once – with my family in Virginia but also with my Cleveland Park Church family here in DC.

I’ll

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